1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method for forming an image having information embedded therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Passwords and copy conditions such as restrictions on output apparatuses and designation of print modes have been embedded as background patterns in original documents. When a document having such information embedded therein is to be copied, in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, copying of the document is permitted under the embedded copy conditions as long as a password matches.
When such a technique is used, however, even though the copy conditions as described above are embedded, copying under the above-noted copy conditions may not be permitted depending on the conditions such as a state of the image forming apparatus or restriction imposed on the user.